To beat cancer, early detection is crucial. Now, a team of Japanese and American scientists has revealed extremely thin sensors that could one day be built into skin-tight, tumor-detecting gloves for doctors, who can share digitized findings with other physicians.

The team behind this project included scientists from Harvard and the University of Tokyo. Using organic transistors and electronic switches made from organic material like carbon, the team crafted pressure-sensing nanofibers, and entangled them to make a grid-like, porous, light structure. The result is pressure sensors that are eight micrometers in thickness, or .0003 inches, which is thinner than plastic wrap. They could easily wrap around your fingers, and can conform to the shape of doctors’ hands, and measure pressure of 144 locations at once, helping docs determine if what they’re palpating is a tumor.

What’s more: These sensations can be digitized and shared as records to other physicians in follow-up exams, so they have a better idea of what lumps and bumps to be on the lookout for.

For a material so small, it could be a very big development in the battle against some very dangerous diseases.